Farmers could market 20 million tonnes of crops this year

Maputo, 13 Apr (AIM) – Mozambican farmers could market about 20 million tonnes of assorted crops this year, announced President Filipe Nyusi on Friday.

He was speaking at the launch of the 2024 agricultural marketing campaign at the Luelela administrative post in the northern province of Niassa.

If the President’s forecast is accurate, the amount of crops marketed will rise by 17.6 per cent, compared with the 2023 figure of 17 million tonnes. These figures cover both food crops and cash crops.

Nyusi stressed that marketing should be transparent, and sustained by fair prices in order to guarantee a balance between all participants in the agricultural value chain.

“We want the work to be done with transparency and justice, so that we can all win”, he said.

He encouraged the country’s farmers to increase their levels of production, because agriculture is the nerve centre for solving a great variety of day-to-day problems.

“When we produce, we sell”, said Nyusi, “and when we sell, we have money to buy school exercise books, and mobile phone airtime, and to pay our electricity bills. So I ask that we continue to produce because our problems will only be solved with production”.

“I’ve come here to say that, as from today, the agricultural marketing campaign officially begins. Follow the procedures – don’t invent high prices”.

Nyusi also did not want businesses to force peasant farmers to sell their crops at artificially low prices. “When you know that the correct price is ten meticais a kilo, don’t say that it costs four meticais just in order to exploit the producers”.

Nyusi also urged citizens not to be deceived by invitations to join the ranks of the islamist terrorists operating in parts of the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado.

Likewise, they should ignore disinformation about the spread of diseases such as cholera and hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.

“The health authorities are telling us how we should protect ourselves from these diseases”, said Nyusi. “They say we should wash our hands, wash foodstuffs, and boil water before drinking it”.

These were the messages that should be heeded, instead of the claims that patients with conjunctivitis should boil tree leaves and apply the resulting mixture to their eyes.

Those who preferred such “traditional” remedies, and ignored the advice from the health authorities, run the risk of blinding themselves, warned Nyusi.

(AIM)

Ac/pf (399)